A moment later, Acheron arrived at the entrance of the Ability Bureau with Mo Xin accompanying her.
"Mo Xin."
"Hmm? Sister Acheron, what is it?"
Acheron suddenly stopped walking and turned around, her gaze carrying an unusual seriousness as it settled on Mo Xin's puzzled face.
"During this time, you must be careful and keep yourself safe."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Mo Xin tilted her head in confusion, blinking her almond-shaped eyes. She scratched the back of her head, completely unable to understand the meaning behind Acheron's words.
Acheron had no intention of explaining further.
After all, Sparkle, as the "conscientious sponsor," must have already taken her existence into consideration.
That meant the so-called welcoming party for the god had most likely become an unavoidable event.
And since Sparkle was personally participating as an "actor," she had likely created a "game account" long in advance.
If that was the case, then Mo Xin's existence had surely been factored into the plan as well.
As for Sparkle's role as the "co-director," the true meaning behind it was still difficult to determine.
Combined with Sparkle's statement that "she herself didn't know"...
One possibility was that Sparkle had only learned the overall plan secondhand, so everything she was doing now was simply laying the groundwork.
The second possibility was that Sparkle knew the overall outline, but she hadn't lied because the so-called script was nothing more than a rough draft.
So rough that even the final ending remained completely unknown.
Yet that fit Sparkle's Elation perfectly. No predetermined script, personally participating in and experiencing a game filled with endless fun.
After remaining silent for a few seconds, Acheron finally spoke in a solemn voice.
"In short, stay safe. I have an indescribable sense of foreboding."
The situation was far too complicated. Even with the hints Sparkle had left behind, Acheron still had no real understanding of what was to come.
Looking at Mo Xin's innocent profile, she knew that even if she explained everything, it would only burden her with unnecessary anxiety.
She shouldn't have been dragged into these dangers and mysteries in the first place.
Besides, given the current circumstances, whether she explained it or not wouldn't change the course that had already been set.
It was better for her to shoulder everything herself, at least allowing Mo Xin to keep her peace of mind for a little longer.
Although she was full of questions, Mo Xin immediately straightened her back and nodded earnestly.
"Mhm, Sister Acheron, I understand! I'll definitely behave myself and stay safe!"
After confirming that Mo Xin had truly taken her words to heart, Acheron said nothing more. She turned and walked toward home, her violet sleeves fluttering gently in the wind as her high heels produced crisp, rhythmic clicks against the pavement.
But the moment she took a step, someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
She turned around to find Mo Xin standing behind her with an anxious expression, her cheeks slightly flushed. One hand still clutched Acheron's sleeve tightly, while her eyes were filled with hesitation.
Acheron paused, blinking slightly.
"Is there something else?"
Hearing that, the anxiety on Mo Xin's face immediately dissolved into a rosy blush, like ripples spreading across a spring lake.
She instinctively lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers while rubbing the ground with the tip of her shoe. Her voice became as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"Um... Sister Acheron, there's actually one more thing I want to ask of you..."
Her sudden shyness only made Acheron more confused. She raised an eyebrow.
"Are you having some kind of difficulty?" Acheron asked.
Meanwhile, Mo Xin stood there nervously, her hands gripping the hem of her shirt tightly in front of her chest.
Her face turned bright red, and her eyes darted everywhere except toward Acheron.
Only after a long silence did she finally whisper.
Mo Xin Ｏ(≧---≦)Ｏ: "Sister Acheron... could you... could you please not tell anyone that I've joined the Ability Bureau? At least not for now?"
Acheron (๑•. •๑)?
Although she didn't quite understand, Acheron still nodded seriously.
"I understand. I'll keep it a secret for you."
"Yay! Thank you, Sister Acheron!"
Mo Xin's eyes immediately sparkled. All of her earlier embarrassment vanished, replaced by a bright, cheerful smile.
"When the weekend comes, I'll buy the freshest peaches. The sweetest ones! I'll bring them especially for you!"
Watching her energetic reaction, the corner of Acheron's lips unconsciously curved into the faintest smile, and the lingering confusion in her heart was gently soothed by that vibrant enthusiasm.
Then, under Mo Xin's watchful gaze, Acheron's figure gradually disappeared around the street corner.
Only after Acheron had completely vanished from sight did Mo Xin finally let out a long sigh of relief, patting her rapidly beating chest.
Facing Acheron just now had given her the same heart-pounding feeling as a child caught red-handed by a parent after secretly doing something naughty.
As for secretly joining the Ability Bureau without telling anyone, she still hadn't figured out how to explain it to her sister and parents.
Fortunately, Acheron had promised to keep it a secret. Given Acheron's personality, there was no way she would accidentally let it slip.
Moreover, today's events had also allowed Mo Xin to discover Acheron's hidden identity.
She just couldn't help wondering who was stronger between Sister Acheron and Master Yunli...
After all, Acheron gave off the feeling of a hidden final boss pretending to be weak.
Mo Xin (｡ŏ_ŏ): "Of course, Master Yunli is amazing too... Ah... thinking like this feels kind of rude no matter how I look at it."
But that wasn't the important part.
Right now, her grand plan to make this aloof, abstinent older sister see her in a new light had completely fallen apart.
Since things had already reached this point, she absolutely couldn't reveal her identity ahead of time.
Otherwise, wouldn't she lose the opportunity to show off in front of her sister?
Thinking of that, an oddly villainous smile slowly spread across Mo Xin's face.
...
Click. Clack. Click...
The crisp sound of slender high heels striking the pavement was quickly swallowed by the bustling traffic and the chatter of pedestrians.
Dressed in her striking outfit, Acheron stood out among the crowd with her tall, graceful figure. Unaffected by the surrounding noise, she continued walking calmly along her chosen path.
When she reached an intersection, her steps paused as she stopped together with the other pedestrians.
Acheron lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. She appeared completely unconcerned, though a subtle glimmer flashed deep within her violet pupils.
Only after the traffic light turned green did she quietly move forward with the crowd.
Everything appeared perfectly ordinary. The pedestrians crossed the zebra crossing in an orderly flow beneath the green light.
Until, at one particular moment, Acheron's figure suddenly disappeared from the middle of the crowd without the slightest warning, drawing no attention from the surrounding pedestrians.
Except...
"Gone?"
The woman concealed among the crowd instantly changed expression, her hand snapping out of her pocket.
She hurriedly looked around, her eyes scanning every passing pedestrian, yet she couldn't find the familiar purple-haired figure anywhere.
After hesitating several times, she finally quickened her pace and rushed after her.
But when she reached the exact spot where Acheron had vanished, all she found was an endless stream of pedestrians flowing past, without the slightest trace of the Purple-Haired Woman.
"I lost her?"
Her face remained expressionless, but her heart was already filled with shock and disbelief.
"Did she notice me?"
The thought surfaced for only a moment before she rejected it herself.
"Impossible... I never made a move. I even stayed perfectly within her blind spot and kept my breathing as light as possible. How could she possibly have noticed me?"
Meanwhile, Acheron stood atop the roof of an old office building. The gentle breeze stirred her violet hair, drawing elegant arcs through the air.
Her calm gaze quietly observed the woman below, who was anxiously searching for her.
"No killing intent... She started following me midway... No... perhaps she began the moment I left the Ability Bureau..."
Just then, the woman seemed to give up searching and turned to leave.
After thinking for a moment, Acheron decided to follow her and see where she was going.